Charlotte Day WilsonHalifax Pop Explosion, Halifax NS, October 19

Toronto's Charlotte Day Wilson was treated like a hometown hero at her Halifax Pop Explosion show Thursday night (October 19) at the Marquee Ballroom, and understandably so: though much of Canada has gotten to know Wilson through her collaborations with BADBADNOTGOOD and last year's acclaimed, Polaris-longlisted CDW EP, Halifax had the opportunity to see her talent up-close first when she was a student at the University of King's College and performed with local (at the time) soul band the WAYO.

"I said I'd only play if I could play the Marquee," Wilson said from the stage, visibly thrilled to have the opportunity to play one of the city's more iconic venues.

The crowd responded in kind as Wilson performed a nine-song set of slow-burning, soulful, swooning songs that played like embers waiting to be stoked. Wilson and her two-piece band performed songs like her BBNG collab "In Your Eyes" and her breakthrough song "Work" with a supremely confident sense of timing, locking their grooves in tight around Wilson's smooth, silky vocals. But the new songs — like "Stone Woman" — were even more impressive, suggesting a greater dynamic range and power in what she's capable of.